Seanad debates

Wednesday, 17 January 2018

Report of the Joint Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution: Statements

 

2:30 pm

Photo of Jerry ButtimerJerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We heard powerful testimonies. We did not hear bias; we heard the truth. Expert witnesses from the legal and medical professions laid before us the realities of what is in our Constitution. As politicians and as people, we have buried our heads for far too long. I do not agree with abortion but it is happening every day. Women are travelling. These are not women without names. Many of them come from our communities or the places in which we were born, they are members of our families and they are from all walks of life. I can no longer stand over a situation whereby women must travel to access abortion or are obliged to access abortion pills online.

I hope that we can have a mature, reasonable debate on this issue. We can agree to disagree. The people will decide.

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